Rick’s Visit and Commitment

Rick came to visit about a month ago. (Sept. 15-18) Grandma almost came out of her skin when she saw him. She was so excited. He looks good and is feeling better, recovering from his surgery. He made no plans for this visit, so his time was open for what ever needed to be done, or whom he needed to go see.

I got to talk with him during our meals. He was telling me that Nancy was diligent in keeping a journal while they were in the Dominican Republic. But the laptop got accidentally left outside and was rained on. This froze the computer; now it is at the computer doctor who will hopefully perform his computer magic and recover all of these precious records. I guess Nephi did not have this kind of trouble using gold plates!?

He told me stories about their mission. Very interesting. He learned that the mission president did not want a couple who did not speak Spanish and told the general authority he had no use for them. Elder Johnson, pushed the papers back to him and reminded him that the Lord called them to serve and he should pray and see where the best place for them would be in his mission. This mission president did not speak any English, so they always had to have interpreters when they conversed. As you know, Rick (with Nancy) was sent out to be branch president. That was all of the instruction they got. It was not long before they increased the attendance at church from 20 to 80+.

Rick said that the people in the Dominican Republic are humble and open to listen to the missionaries. Many want to be baptized, but cannot because they are not married to the person they are living with. This is a big problem, you have to have the correct papers to get married and marriages have to be performed by the government. It takes quite a bit of money to get the papers and most people are living from meal to meal- not pay check to paycheck. Can you imagine waking up and wondering where you are going to find food that day? Also the government, to keep control of the people, is not cooperating, even denying issuing any documents to those who are black. The work of the Lord is being stifled because of this policy.

Rick told me that when they would go into get a marriage license; they had to produce a picture of the people. Information surfaced that there was a memo sent by the government to all the workers, if the people in the picture were black (Haitian by ancestry- even if they were born in the Dominican Republic), they were to not cooperate at all and never issue the documents requested. They church got hard evidence of this memo and hired a lawyer from Salt Lake City to come to DR and work on this problem.

The president of the DR was running for reelection. He wanted the support of the Latter-Day Saints and asked to go in the temple. He was refused, “But he is the president of the country- he can go anywhere!” The answer was still the same. So Elder Johnson suggested that he have a meeting on the temple grounds where he could address the members. They erected a large tent and made arrangements for the saints to get transportation into the city for the assembly. Just before the president was to address the people, he was told he could not make this a political speech. He complied and talked about the importance of families. Also they said they wanted two things from him before they would let them speak to this throng of 2,000. First Elder Johnson asked that the church have tax exempt status. This would save million of dollars annually to the church. “Done” was his answer. Second, that the problem with getting marriage documents would be resolved. He was not as quick with this request, he said he would work on it. He gave his speech and in the end was reelected.

I asked Rick what made the country go- he said two things- drugs and baseball. Illegal drugs bring millions into the country. Baseball is a passion for the whole country; it is way for men to pull themselves out of poverty. Children are taught to throw and catch a ball before they can walk. There are games played in every neighborhood. The Commissioner of Baseball came to the church to ask for help. He is having the same problem getting documents that the church is having. He has a player who has been offered a multimillion-dollar contract with a team in the states; he is Haitian and cannot get a passport. The commissioner suggested that they work together. His profession before being made the Commissioner of Baseball was a lawyer- so the church hired him too to work on the problem, which is a coup, because he knows everyone and every thing about the inner workings of the government of the Dominican Republic. Rick pointed out that the Lord’s work will move forward.

We discussed our own political fights. Elder Cook (an Apostle) was planning on visiting the DR last June. He did not make it, instead he was assigned to go to California and organize the effort to get Proposition 8 passed. (The entire text of Proposition 8 is as follows: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California.") Elder Johnson told Rick that the church is at war in California. I am fifty years old- only twice in my lifetime (that I can remember) has the church gotten involved in political matters. Both times it has had to do with keeping marriage between a man and a women. Elder Johnson pointed out the wild fires that were raging all over the state and commented that if this proposition does not pass that he would not want to live in California.

The saints in California are working hard to get the votes to pass this vital change to our states constitution. I have a bumper sticker on my car, phone calling assignments, put signs at the entrance of our driveway (that were stolen--interesting, tolerance only goes one way in this issue) and yesterday, Daniel and I stood on the sidewalk of a busy intersection, holding signs- waving our support for Prop. 8.

We were given the ‘California howdy’; by the time we were through with our two hour assignment, we counted six ‘birds’ in our flock, along with some vocal jeers by passing motorists. One man came up to us and asked how we could spread such hate. But there was much more support for our cause than dissent, lots of honking and thumbs up.

I was so proud of Daniel- he thought our position was in the minority. He anticipated more conflict, yet he still stood out there with me. He is a brave boy. We feel for others waving signs in more liberal cities. Pray for them, pray for California.

I have been thinking about what Rick said, the Lord’s work will go forward; about standing up in support for this Proposition, for presidential candidates and about fear. We have been asked to do some hard things. Rick and Nancy’s mission was not easy- it was hard. I suspect the missing signs were taken by our neighbor (you know the ones with the llamas?) and I do not like conflict where I live. But whose side am I on? How will I show that I am a disciple, a follower of Jesus Christ? I found a couple of scriptures and a quote that have helped me:

D & C 3:7 “For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God..”
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.”
“May we dedicate our lives to serving the Lord
and not worry about offending the devil.” James E. Faust

The next verse (in D&C 3:8) reads: “Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.”

It was a short lecture, but I got it. It was my responsibility to stand out in my community and communicate the will of God in the matter of marriage. Even if there is conflict; I was not stoned like Stephen or imprisoned like Nephi, hunted like Alma or burnt like Abinadi; we counted ‘birds’!